This invention relates to a locking arrangement for a movable vehicle body part, particularly an engine hood, of a motor vehicle having two lock parts, of which one is assigned to the movable vehicle body part and the other is assigned to a stationary vehicle body part of the motor vehicle, one lock part having a catch bow to which adjusting devices are assigned for adjusting the height of the catch bow relative to the assigned vehicle body part.
Engine hood locking systems are known from Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in the case of which the adjustment of the height of a locking top part relative to the engine hood is implemented by the underlaying of adjusting plates on the screw-on surface of the lock top part. The precise is adjustment of the height of the lock top part relative to the engine hood determines the fit and the accuracy of the fit of the engine hood, relative to the vehicle body parts defining the engine space of the passenger car. Only if the height of the engine hood is adjusted precisely relative to the body, will there be a uniform overall appearance of the vehicle body. However, in order to precisely adjust the lock top part on the engine hood, several operations are required in order to be able to precisely position several adjusting plates. In addition, the thickness of the adjusting plates defines the progressive ratio of the adjusting operation. For underlaying the adjusting plates, the lock top part must be unscrewed. According to the requirements, the number of the adjusting plates to be underlaid must be increased or decreased. This requires in each case a repetition of the different adjusting operations. In addition, all adjusting operations can be carried out only when the engine hood is open.
It is an object of the invention to provide a locking arrangement of the type generally described above by means of which the movable vehicle body part can be adjusted in a simple manner and at low time expenditures with respect to the stationary vehicle part.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a locking arrangement in which the catch bow is held by means of a continuous linear adjusting device on the assigned vehicle body part. As a result, the catch bow can be continuously adjusted in its height on the assigned vehicle body part without the requirement that the catch bow has to be detached from the vehicle body part for the adjustment. Such an adjustment is also possible when the body part is already closed so that a precise adjustment can be achieved in just one operation. As a result of the solution according to the invention, the mounting time can be considerably reduced.
In an embodiment of the invention, the catch bow is rigidly fastened on a threaded spindle which is held in an adjusting nut rotatably disposed in the assigned vehicle body part. This is a particularly simple mechanical construction which has a high operating reliability.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the adjusting nut is constructed as a stop nut. As a result, the threaded spindle and therefore the catch bow are prevented from rotating out of the adjusting nut and thus detaching from the vehicle body part during the operation of the passenger car, due to jolts or vibrations.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a protection device against torsion for the catch bow is arranged on the vehicle body part. As a result, it is ensured that the catch bow always has the same angular position and can therefore lock in the other lock part in a simple manner independently of its height adjustment.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.